Maiden Of Light, Angel Of Darkness
by Kaoma
Summary: [AU] Two girls: one has the power to give life, the other has the power to take it away. Stuck between worlds and found by two young princes, the world is changed as they, and their gifts, are freed. Love is born, but Death untimately prevails. AxS, TxH.
1. And So It Begins

**Disclaimer- We don't own Furuba. Don't sue us.**

**Simple and to the point. This is what defines us. No complicated plot twists or narratives that you can't understand.**

**We promise.**

**By the way, one of our great abilities is to lie with an air of sincerity.**

**But if we say we lie...does that mean we own Furuba? Oh, whatever. Just don't trust us, 'kay? AND PLEASE DON'T SUE. WE HAVE NO MONEY!!**

**---**

**Summary- AU. Should have got that. Tohru is a girl with a special power- the ability to bring back the dead. Akito can kill any living thing with a touch.**

**Weird, huh?**

**Anyway, they get stuck in a stained glass window. Then Haa-san and Shii-chan find them when they are five (or six. Or seven. Can't remember.We'll work on that later) and umm...FALL IN LOVE. Anyway, this is not really a summary. But suffice to say that there will be lots to do with life, death and the Fates. People will die (I hear your moans of despair, fangirls) and people WILL GET REBORN.**

**That's right. You heard me. Well, you heard US. But anyway, on with the story.**

---

It was almost night time, and a high-pitched squeal could be heard filling the air, cutting through the still darkness like a sharpened knife. As it was mid-winter, the cold wind howled mournfully, and whistled through the bare, black branches of the silhouetted trees, which, it would seem, were almost strategically placed in front of the dark grey sky, as if the creator had tried to make as dreary a scene as possible.

It was on this day that the child of Akira and Ren Sohma was born.

Inside her room, Ren collapsed back on the sweat-covered sheets of her mattress, feeling exhausted. Her midwife held the child in her arms, its large, dark head supported in the crook of her elbow.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Sohma." she said cheerfully. "You -"

"Get on with it!" Ren was obviously not in the mood for pleasantries. She attempted to wipe sweat from her brow, but found her arm was too weak. She growled under her breath. All of this effort, for one lousy, good-for-nothing little-

Too late, she realised she had been muttering the words under her breath. Akira looked at her sharply, before turning to the midwife and uttering a few soft sentences, calming the woman down. She bowed shortly, and set about wiping the newborn baby clean. Akira sighed and leaned back onto Ren's bed.

Ren looked at Akira with something akin to pride - and love. She felt so happy that she, she, Ren Sohma, had fallen in love with such a kind, gentle man. She, a mere maid, while he had been the head of the Sohma clan! Akira had been nothing but wonderful, even though his health was obviously deteriorating, and had been for the last few years.

"It's a girl." The midwife announced quietly, turning around, having finished from cleaning up the babe.

"I can see that! What else would it be, a fish?" Ren snapped, her brief good mood forgotten. The midwife squeaked, and hurriedly pushed the bundle into Akira's arms, before exiting rather hastily, for fear of earning another admonishment. Akira stared after her for a minute, absentmindedly, before his attention was called back to his rather jittery wife. She was pulling at the sleeve of his kimono, making rather annoyed faces at him. Akira crouched beside her bed and tried to soothe the distraught woman.

"Please, Ren, calm down." Akira reprimanded her gently. The woman's face softened a fraction, and her hand reached out to touch his cheek. Her strength failed her, and Ren's upturned palm fell against the soft material covering her daughter. She jerked it away instantly, her face hardening again at the sight of the bunch in Akira's arms.

"Is that it?" she hissed, "I don't want to see it. I don't even want it in the room!"

"Ren!" Akira whispered in a pained voice, "Please, it's our first child! At least give her a chance." Ren's face twitched. Her mouth melted into a fake smile.

"Fine, Akira, if it is your wish. At least let me look at the brat." Akira held out his daughter for his wife to see. The woman narrowed her eyes with distaste. It was the ugliest thing she had ever seen!

They gave her a boy's name- Akito- at Ren's insistence. Akira, not understanding why, complied. Akito had ash-grey skin, deep, shadowy eyes, and a few wisps of dark hair, which in the light seemed purpley-black. She was not exactly a beautiful baby, but she was striking, and she promised to grow up into a lovely woman. Ren hated her daughter even more after Akira said that, and she would do anything to make sure that it didn't happen.

With her eyes darkening, Ren Sohma planned.

----

She had never wanted to be pregnant. She loved Akira, yes, but Ren was always afraid that if they had a child, it would take her place in Akira's heart. So, she had schemed and plotted, used everything she could to delay an inevitable pregnancy. It had not worked.

But a few days after the birth, the devious woman had another plan up her sleeve. Surely, if the babe died, Akira would notice _her_ again? No more Akito this, Akito that. No more screams in the night. No more baby. Akira would love _her_ again…and only her. She would have him all to herself…

Ren pulled the dagger from her sleeve.

**----A Few Years Later----**

"Congratulations. It's a girl." The midwife smiled at them. Katsuya sighed with relief as his wife let go of his hand, freeing the poor thing from her crushing grip. Before today, Katsuya had had no idea that his wife could have reduced his whole hand to nothing but a bloody pulp. Well, maybe he had, but not to this extend. Katsuya gently massaged his throbbing arm, and looked worriedly at Kyoko, who was staring in the direction her baby had gone to be freshened up. She was jerking her hands nervously, obviously wanting to hold her child.

Giving up on seeing her daughter for the moment, Kyoko sighed and leaned back into her mattress, weary to the bone. The birth had taken a lot out of her, and Katsuya was worried that it might have had a permanent effect, though he knew she would bounce back. Kyoko always did.

He could never have known how wrong he was.

…

A few minutes later, Katsuya and Kyoko Honda both gazed for the first time at Tohru, their daughter. Katsuya had chosen her name, and Kyoko had laughed when she heard his choice. Trust her strange husband to name his sweet-natured daughter something so masculine.

"You're weird." Kyoko whispered to him, after Midwife Shiyo had left them alone.

"Thank you." Katsuya smiled, enjoying their joke.

"It wasn't a compliment!" Kyoko said, giggling weakly. Her laugh turned into a hacking cough, and Katsuya gently took Tohru from Kyoko's arms, holding the child close to his chest. After Kyoko had recovered from her coughing episode, Katsuya held out Tohru, so that his wife could see her.

"She's so beautiful." Kyoko sighed. Her whole body was like wet parchment, weak and floppy, feeling as if it was liable to tear at any moment. She couldn't embrace her newborn child, so she let her husband hold their daughter as close as he could without falling on top of her. That may have been painful.

Tohru was a lovely looking baby- with round rosy cheeks, wide, expressive eyes the colour of the sea, and the most delicate, china-white skin. She was smaller than average, as she had been prematurely born, but healthy and smiling, and so her parents were happy.

Katsuya and Kyoko were alone in the room now, with the exception of Tohru, who was nestled in the crook of her mother's arm. It was dawn, and the rosy glow filtered through the glass in the window, bathing the walls in soft peach light.

"How are you feeling?" Katsuya asked her worriedly. His wife looked worn, drained, as if all of the life had left her body along with her child. She seemed small and feeble under the thin cotton sheets.

"Tired." She breathed, smiling faintly. "Very, very tired." Her eyes fluttered shut, and Katsuya left her to sleep, gently untwisting his sleeping daughter from his wife's arms. He looked at her one last time, brushed back a strand of her red-gold hair from her pale face, and left the small, cold room.

----

The birthing room was silent. A shadowy figure opened the door, and soft light flooded into the room. Something was crying. She hurried to Kyoko's side, and shook her gently, glancing back into the room she had just exited every so often.

"Kyoko?" Shiyo poked Kyoko's shoulder experimentally, "Kyoko! Please wake up. I think there's something wrong with Tohru. She keeps on crying." The nurse looked confused and flustered. "Kyoko, please! Nothing I do will calm her! She just keeps crying and crying-" Kyoko did not respond. She lay there, as silent as the grave.

It was only then the nurse realised the waxy texture of the young woman's skin, the way it was cold to the touch, almost icy. She didn't move, didn't breathe. It was as if Kyoko were-

"No." The nurse whispered. "No, not again. Not another one!" Ah, the feeling in her chest. To know that another life had been taken away, right in front of her, and all because of that demon child from the Sohma house.

…

He had been half-asleep when they had broken the news to him. At first, it didn't sink in. It wasn't possible. Kyoko couldn't be dead- she was too strong for that. Too lively, too sunny, too…alive. No, he refused to believe it.

But he had to, at the funeral. The only ones who attended were him, the midwife and Tohru. Even the priest reciting the prayers seemed to be in another world. Seeing her cold, dead body - so full of laughter and love when alive- it killed him inside.

But he remembered _her_. Their child. Tohru. No, he couldn't leave her in this cruel world, alone and unloved. God only knew what would happen if his sister got hold of her. No, he would keep her and love her, and he would _never_ let her go.

…

Akito hated her mother. Her family, in general. Everyone. It was all _their_ fault she was this way. Had she chosen to be born with a strange gift? No. It was only her mother's murder attempt that had brought out the full effects.

Now everyone looked at her as if she was a freak. Well, she was technically, but they didn't have to know that. For now, they were the freaks and she was the only normal one.

Akito curled up into a ball and slept.

…

"Tohru? Tohru! Tohru, come back! Don't go running off like that!" Katsuya hurriedly scooped up his child. She laughed and giggled, trying to catch the snowflakes on the tip of her tongue. Katsuya sighed, relief flooding his body like a tidal wave, knocking aside all other emotions that were crowding inside his breast.

"Tohru, please, don't do that. Papa gets so scared when you do that." Katsuya breathed. Tohru looked a little ashamed. "Do you want your Papa to get scared, Tohru?" Tohru shook her head, then held out her hand so her father could see the snowflakes she had collected. Her bright face fell when she realised that there was only tiny pools of water gathered in the crevasses of her palm. Her father chuckled.

"That's what happens to snow, Tohru. It melts." He said laughingly.

"But _why_?" Tohru wailed. "Why does the snow have to go? I don't want it to!"

"But after the snow, comes spring. You like spring, don't you?"

"Does that die too?" she asked softly. Katsuya's smile faltered.

"It dies, Tohru. But it comes back. It has to die to make way for summer. But it always comes back."

"That's stupid. If I was ruler of the world, nothing would die!" Tohru said crossly. "Everything would live forever!"

"Nobody can stop death, Tohru-"

"That's because nobody's tried to." His daughter pointed out. She grinned. "I bet I'll be the first!"

Katsuya sighed again. "Whatever you say, darling. Now, how about we go home, have some hot chocolate, and Nanny can put you to bed after reading you your story?"

"Yay!" Tohru cheered. "I love chocolate!" She became serious again. "Does chocolate die, Papa?"

All Katsuya did was laugh.

…

Fully awake, Akito looked out of her window. The bare branches of the tree outside her window rustled sorrowfully. She heard laughter, and scowled. What right did others have to laugh, when she was locked away? He had no company, no friends. And, especially, no laughter. Everyone had been banned from seeing her, even from looking at her. She was the Child Of Death- one who could kill any living thing with a touch. Maids came to deliver her food through the hole in her door, and she learned to bathe by herself. Occasionally, she caught snatches of whispers outside her window- gossipy maids snickering that Ren-sama had gone completely insane, and had had to be contained in a special room. One with padded walls.

_She's confined. Like me. Though they don't give me any such luxury as padded walls, _Akito frowned. There was more laughter today.

_Why are these stupid people so joyous? Don't they know that there is a creature standing nearby that could kill them without thought? _

A little girl came running in the direction of the window, laughing hysterically. Akito lived in a separate house, with only one room in it. It was separated from all the other houses in the Sohma property, right beside the wall lining the whole property, and so Akito got a clear view of outside happenings. The girl snarled noiselessly as she saw the cause for the disruption in her daily routine.

_She_ was the one producing that atrocious noise. An adorable little girl, with an obviously devoted father trailing behind her. Akito hated the girl on sight. She hated her for being able to laugh, and for having someone who loved her, following her, caring about the child in a way Akito had never experienced. As she watched, the man that followed her scooped the child up into his arms, nuzzling her hair. Akito couldn't hear what they said to each other. She was just about to turn away from the window when she heard the man throw back his head and bellow with laughter. This was the last straw. If _she_ couldn't laugh, then _no-one_ should be allowed to!

The raven-haired child screamed, knocking everything off of the metal tray on which her food had arrived. She swung the tray as hard as she could, intending to smash the window and scare the noisy pair away. It was inevitable, however, that she should miss the panes of fragile glass. It crashed against the wall, falling to the floor with a large dent in it. As she picked up the tray for a second shot, she saw that the pair that had disturbed her so much in the first place was walking away, the girl giggling and pulling on her father's hand, the father following his good little girl, still chortling.

Akito collapsed onto the floor. She sobbed in anger and frustration, curling into a ball, tucking her head between her knees, her broken uncared-for nails scratching at her skin. What she wouldn't give to be that child right now, with no powers to stop her having a loving family.

Alone in her room, Akito cried.

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**It might be hard to understand but bear with us.**** Not the best first chapter, but it's better than some we've seen. If you like the sound/look of this story, review us (hah. Like that'll happen) and add it to your alerts. We will love you forever.**

**Any mispellings? Apart from that? Was it good? Bad? Like it?**

**Tell us. We await your response.**

**By the way, I (dishrag-chan) don't really mind if we get no reviews. I live to write, not to read reviews. But they help, so...yeah. Don't expect quick updates. We all have exams to study for.**

Random Quotes/Laws of the Chapter-

In Alabama it is illegal to...

-wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.

-flick boogers into the wind.

-wear a blindfold while operating a vehicle.

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	2. Lost And Found

Our new chapter. Enjoy.

We don't own it, but we DO suffer from a case of pathological lying. So...whatever.

You can tell that it's dishrag writing this, can't you?

----

Even when there was no reason to be optimistic, Katsuya would always find something to laugh about- whether it be Tohru's clumsiness, her gorgeous smile, or the way she would get so anxious if there was a shortage of chocolate in the house. Tohru loved the stuff, and Katsuya regretted introducing it to her somewhat. But not much, since the sight of his daughter grinning up at him, melted chocolate smeared all over her mouth, eyes laughing at him, was adorable. He wouldn't swap it for the world.

Katsuya was a little ill, he knew, but he hoped it wouldn't last long. There was not much money remaining from what his father had left him when he died, and so he had to use it carefully. Unfortunately, he had had to get rid of Nanny- the midwife who had helped Kyoko with her pregnancy, and the delivery of the baby. She would stop by regularly with chocolate and cookies, but these visits had grown more and more infrequent. Tohru was sad about it, but she was naturally a cheerful child, and so she found ways to get by. One of those ways would be to play in the small wood hear their cottage, running and jumping about with birds and animals.

One day, however, she found a dead bird that had fallen from its nest. It was a newly hatched chick- still fluffy, and warm.

Hot tears filled Tohru's eyes. She couldn't stand dead things. It made her think of her mother. So young… and it had been all of her fault that Kyoko, her mother was dead! If only she hadn't been born…a warm drop of salty liquid splashed onto Tohru's palm.

Tohru tenderly lifted the dead bird with one hand and settled it onto her other palm. She sighed. Oh, how wonderful it would be if the bird was to become alive again! She remembered the conversation she had had with her father a few days ago.

"_Nobody can stop death, Tohru-" _

"_That's because nobody's tried to. I bet I'll be the first!" _

Tohru sat on the leaf-covered earth, lost in thought. Maybe her power would help? No doubt it was some sort of power. Tohru had always felt some kind of - something. It was strange - she had constantly felt some kind of…_bubble_, inside her. She had asked her Papa about it, and it was quite obvious to see that he had no idea what she had been talking about.

The bubble. Maybe…maybe that _would_ help. Tohru had a feeling that it would. It was quite easy- all she had to do was let the bubble spread, from her chest, down her arms, through her fingers and into the dead chick.

_It's kinda like holding it in when you need the potty, _she thought, surprised. Her attention was caught by the rapidly warming body of the lifeless fledgling.

Suddenly, the bird started quivering. Its heart was fluttering, so light and fast, and its bleary eyes opened. Its gaze darted around, panicky, and it tried to flap its tiny wings. She put it down hurriedly so that it wouldn't fall, and it hopped a few off-balance bounces before taking off in a flurry of frightened movement. To Tohru, the sound of the wings beating was a song of joy bursting in her heart. She smiled and stood up, swaying from…exhaustion? Tohru whimpered. It felt as if all of her muscles were melted rubber. It scared her. She gasped, and crumpled down into a heap onto the soil.

…

Tohru was found a few hours later by a frantic Katsuya. He scooped her up into his arms like an infant. No doubt, she was the size of one. And she was far, far too light. Tohru was freezing when he had picked her up, but he had bundled her inside his jacket, and her body had slowly warmed up. Katsuya however, was getting colder.

The young man deposited his shivering daughter in the chair in front of the fire, and hurried to the kitchen to get something warm for her to eat. Alas, as a carpenter, his wage was not extravagant, so in their small house, there was only cold bread and soup to eat that day.

He warmed the food, dipping the hard stony bread into the broth, softening it up, and slowly poking it into her half-open mouth.

"…pa." She mumbled, waking up. "Papa? Papa, I did it! The birdy was dead, but I did it, even though you said no-one had done it before! You see? No-one tried!"

Katsuya started. "What are you talking about, Tohru? Surely you don't mean… Oh, of course, you were dreaming. In this cold the dreams can seem quite real. Stay calm and eat your-"

"Papa! Listen to me! It was real! I just moved the bubble to my hands and it started to move, and then it flew away and I was sleepy, sleepier than I've been ever before so I couldn't stay awake! I'll show you. Bring a dead birdy and I'll show you!"

He sighed, not believing a word. "Alright Tohru, I'll get you a bird, but only if you eat your soup and stay in bed. Being that cold isn't good for you."

Satisfied, the child snuggled down contentedly. "It really was real, Papa. I know it. Please don't forget to get the bird…" A gentle sigh marked Tohru's passing into the realm of dreams.

Katsuya shivered.

When Tohru woke up, all she could do was tremble uncontrollably. _Where's Papa, _she wondered sleepily, _Why is he gone? He was right here when I fell asleep! _Tohru shoved off her blankets and stood before the dying embers of the fire, not feeling so lethargic anymore. Alone in a rapidly cooling house that reminded her uncomfortably of the dead bird she had held in her hand, the child waited for her father to return. He would come back for her, she knew.

…

Katsuya had not intended to get lost in the woods. He was sure he was safe_. I know this forest like the_ _back of my hand_, he told himself. He tried not to think about when the last time he had looked at the back of his hand had been. He failed. He tried to remember what the back of his hand had looked like. He failed.

This wasn't good, he realised. His mind was wandering, his thoughts disjointed, and- hey, why wasn't it _unjointed _or _injointed or- _good God, he had to go home and get warm NOW. He would have to go hunting some other time. _In the meantime, we can survive on chocolate, _he thought wryly, _or, at least, Tohru can. _

Katsuya took a few staggering steps, and stumbled over a twig. Cursing it to a life of disease, he collapsed in a quivering heap. He tried to get up. He failed. He tried to make the world stop swirling and spinning. He failed. He tried to open his eyes, and stumble into an upwards position. He failed…

…

Hours later, Hateshi Rachesisu found a half-frozen man, lying prone in the middle of the forest track. She wondered what he was doing miles away from any settlement. She hefted her heavy pack from one arm to the other. After a few minutes, Ama decided that she couldn't leave this man to die. And the house wasn't too far away.

_Oh well, _she thought wearily, _I might as well help him. He might have a wife or some children or something._

…

Tohru had wandered disconsolately around the empty house for days now. All the chocolate was gone. She had eaten it. ALL OF IT.

Tohru sighed. It was only after she had stuffed her tiny face with all the sweet, sugary substance that she realised she probably should have saved some for later. Now, there was absolutely nothing whatsoever to ingest. Except perhaps the paper wrappers for the chocolates.

No, that was no use. She couldn't even disguise the _taste_ of the paper- she had licked the chocolate off of them. Tohru mourned her efficiency.

There was nothing for it. She would have to go hunting. Her Papa had done it lots of times. She'd never tried it, but it seemed pretty easy.

Tohru trotted around the house, trying to find her pink mittens and hat. She had always liked pink. And yellow.

Tohru checked every one of the rooms in their cottage. Granted, there were only two, but it never hurt to be cautious. That's what her Papa had told her, and when he came back he would be disappointed if she hadn't checked the cottage for burgmers. Or whatever they were called. After locking up, Tohru dithered about what to do. After some thought, she made the decision to hunt in the woods. Maybe the animals could help her find some food…like meat or something.

The little girl rambled through a small part of the forest, searching for a steak-bush or a chocolate-tree. Her Papa had told her all of their food came from plants, and he hadn't shown her how to hunt. Katsuya had always hid whatever he used to hunt with from her. Tohru frowned. Her Papa was very weird sometimes.

After almost hours of searching fruitlessly (well, that's what it seemed like to her. In reality, it was only about ten minutes) she came across a few early blackberries. Ignoring the sour taste and the small pink scratches across her wrists, she greedily devoured the precious fruit, as if they were the finest wild blackberries she had ever tasted in her life. Well, this was the first time she had had any, but that was not the point. She gathered them as many as she could, and made a sort of hammock out of her long skirt. Tohru gently settled herself on a wooden log nearby and guzzled down the berries as fast as she could. Needless to say, as she was five years old, that was not very fast. After satiating herself, Tohru sighed and looked at the scenery. She didn't know where she was, but the little girl was confident that her papa would find her. He was smart like that. Thinking about silly, random things, Tohru was on the edge of a doze when a voice suddenly broke the tranquillity.

"Wh-what are you doing here? Who are you?"

Tohru started, looking around. This was a new voice, one she hadn't heard before. She hesitated. Should she reply? She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, but she was so hungry. Again. But then, she was a growing girl, right? She _had_ to eat lots.

And although this voice was new, it also sounded familiar. Tohru took a deep breath.

"Excuse me! I'm sorry! Are these your berries? I didn't mean to steal them, but I was so hungry…" she trailed off unsurely. She couldn't see the other person. What if it was a burgmer!? She thought the voice had come from behind the bramble thicket…

"Stop babbling." The voice snarled, "Your voice gives me a headache, and for your information, these are not my blackberry bushes, but I was here first, and I've not eaten in a whole DAY AND A HALF!"

"I'm so sorry!" Tohru squeaked, "I'll try to stop babbling, I just thought you were going to arrest me for stealing. But how is it possible to not eat for that long? You'd be dead!" Her hesitation had given way to curiosity.

"Don't talk such nonsense!" The voice snorted, "I'm a child like you, so I can't arrest you, and you can go for a _week_ without food before you die. My servants say that if I misbehave again they'll stop bringing me food for a week, and see if I am still alive at the end of it." Tohru could practically see the furious scowl on her face as she said this. The tiny brunette spoke up hesitantly.

"C-can you see me? I don't know where you are…did you say you were my age?"

The owner of the voice stepped out. It was a girl, with purple-black hair and sharp features. She was indeed a child of Tohru's age, maybe a few years older, skinny and pale, but with an air of guarded fear mixed with contempt. Her eyes were dark pits, dragging down the gaze of anyone who tried to look at her directly. Tohru didn't notice any of this, as she was still trying to work out what the other girl had said.

"Aren't servants meant to do what you tell them to do? And how do you live out here, if you're rich enough to afford servants? Only rich people have servants. My daddy told me that." Tohru said frankly.

"I ran away, you idiot!" The dark girl sniffed haughtily, "God, you're such a baby! And for your information, I'm not allowed to tell the servants what to do. I'm too young, and they were told not to listen to me." The strange girl looked at Tohru closely. Had she seen this idiot somewhere?

Tohru frowned worriedly. This was different to all the fairytales her Papa told her, where rich people got everything they wanted and lived happily ever after. "Why?" She asked inquisitively.

This was too much for the angry child.

"That's the way things are!" she snapped, "Are you stupid? Questions get you hurt! It's probably dangerous hanging around you. Your blatant idiocy might be contagious." She turned to go. Tohru panicked. Maybe this...person knew where to find her papa. He was taking his time, wasn't he?

"Don't go! Please, please don't go! We could share food!"

The dark youth turned back in a manner that suggested that although she wanted to leave, she was also very hungry. Tohru seemed surprised at this. "Fine, I'll stay." The girl shrugged, still scowling dangerously. "Pride's all very well, but a blackberry is a blackberry."

"Here." Tohru handed her some that she'd picked. "What's your name?"

"Akito. Akito Sohma."

"I'm Tohru."

"It's not like I care." replied Akito snootily, "I'm just here for the berries." The two girls sat in silence for a few minutes, until Tohru broke the calm.

"…Akito?"

"What?"

"What's 'blatant' mean?"

…

"Oh, poor dear, I wonder how long he was out in the cold for…" Quite a soft voice. To his left.

"Where did you find him?" Harsh. Cracked. To his right.

"Just off the edge of the inner forest. You know, where that old kingdom was supposed to exist. But, damn that forest is big." This was the woman who found him, and she was standing in between the soft voice and the severe one. Or had she been the one to help him? He had been only vaguely conscious when she had dragged him into her home. Now, he was quite sure that he was lying on some blankets, maybe on a bed. Katsuya sighed inaudibly. These women were awfully loud, and he was starting to develop a headache.

"Oh no, you're starting to sound like a commoner!" A loud screech. From his right, for sure. Katsuya did not like that woman.

"And heaven forbid that should happen! You forget, I'm not all image conscious like you and your friends. I'm a historian, and history is not often dignified, you know." The middle voice.

"A historian! Just a fancy kind of collector with less comfort and more gruelling labour. We don't need the money, you know. We can even provide for any homeless layabouts that you need sheltering, so why don't you let us provide for you, sister dear?" What did that mean?

Katsuya kept his eyes tightly shut, to avoid looking at these beastly women. He groaned loudly. This hurt both his ears and chest, as he felt so annoyed at these old biddies constant, incessant whining, and he felt he had to express it in some way. He growled. This hurt more.

"Ah, he's waking up!" Middle voice.

"Then quick, quick, get-uh- get a…get something that will help him!" Old one.

"You useless old hag…" Soft voice.

"Don't you speak that way to your elders, young girl!" Old.

"I'm not _that _much younger than you! Wait, do I really look that young?" Soft?

"You two! Go to the kitchen and bring that stew. Don't forget the warm milk and a basin." Middle voice, definitely.

"Just a basin? Do we fill it with anything?" Soft. Kind of…dopey now.

"No, just leave it there to breed." Middle voice paused sarcastically, "Idiot, of course you do! Fill it with lukewarm water!"

"You don't need to shout. I don't see _you _doing anything productive-" Old.

"Why don't you three hags _shut up?"_ Katsuya had had enough of this noise. He jerked upright, quite forgetting that he had almost died, and immediately started coughing. He flung himself down onto his covers, and groaned. Had he been sat on by an elephant? Or had his lungs always been so sore?

"Dear me, you have quite a voice for a man that's just come out of a coma." Old. Impressed.

"A wha- a coma! What do you mean, coma?" Katsuya was enraged to find that he could no longer close his eyes- his natural curiosity was badgering him to at least get a glimpse of his irritating saviours. He complied, not preparing himself for the inevitable shock his brain would receive.

Three old, well-dressed women were leaning over his head. The sight of their upside-down craggy faces disturbed him so much that he shrieked and shut his eyes again.

"He really is very twitchy." The one to his right sniffed. She was the oldest, as far he could have told; a woman with a face so wrinkled he had thought she'd been a tree stump with sharp glaring eyes. There was a relatively nice-looking woman as well, the one on his left. She was the 'young' one, probably. The historian was the one who had saved him, and she was staring at him with a mixture of contemplation and amusement. She shooed the others away to get some food, and they obeyed, bickering all the way to the kitchen. Even now, Katsuya could hear their screeching voices.

"If you're wondering where you are, who we are, and so on, you will have to wait." The historian's voice startled him, and he turned to face her, his brown bangs covering half of his face. He did not see his saviour's countenance, as it was cast into shadow by the angle she was sitting at. "Your body is extremely weak. You should rest. We will explain later." With that, she snapped her fingers, and Katsuya felt his body relaxing. His eyes swam, and the images his eyes sent his brain were hazy and twisted. Through the fog in his mind, one clear-cut, precise picture emerged. A little girl, with wide innocent turquoise eyes, and an adorably confused expression on her face stared up at him. Katsuya's eyes widened and one last lucid thought wriggled through his head…

_Where is my daughter?_

_---_

Ha. We finished the second chapter. Aren't you proud?

If there's anything wrong with this story, tell us. No flames- we actually put work into this, you know.

And if you're wondering who the old ladies are...look at our summary in the first chapter. There should be a big clue there.

And Rachesisu's (we Japanesized it. Is that even a word? I don't think so) original name is Lachesis. Look it up, it's real.

We've given it away now. By the way, it was Elia's idea to say that the woman with the middle voice 'paused sarcastically'. I'm sure it's not actually physically possible.


	3. Travelings And Flashbacks

_Ahh...you know, this is such a smooth transition... 'Ten years later'. It just makes you want to- well, anyway, we don't own it. Any of it. 'Cept the plot._

_Take that, lawyers. Any of you stupid enough to believe that someone sane thought it up?_

----

Ten Years Later

Akito was not a beautiful girl. She was not lovely. She was, however, still striking to look at. Her skin had never developed the rosy glow common in seventeen-year olds, but the blue shadows under her eyes had faded slightly, leaving skin of living marble behind, ghostly pale and translucent. Her hair, at her insistence, was cut to her shoulders. Black with purple highlights, it stuck out slightly in spikes, like a warrior's. Her eyes, deep and seemingly soulless, were narrowed in irritation. She muttered as she walked through the undergrowth, trampling thorns and flowers alike under her heavy black shoes.

"Stupid, _stupid_ girl. How can she always be so hungry? For a girl gifted with the spirit of life, she sure eats a lot of dead things! Ugh, I want to _strangle_ her!" Akito kicked at a stray branch. Feeling particularly malicious today, she ripped off one of her black leather gloves and bent, placing her bony hand on the limb. She braced herself for the feeling of death, the branch's soul withering in her grasp. Akito sighed, and relaxed the ever-eager feeling in her chest. Immediately, fresh green leaves curled inward, browning and growing brittle as the life was sucked out of them. The branch snapped and crumbled, interrupting the shadow of death that ensnared it. She dropped its remains onto the hardened soil, where it lay, broken and decomposing, lifeless.

Standing upright, she viciously swiped stray beetles that had lived inside the branch from her hands, their now-hollow corpses drifting down to land beside their former home. Replacing her glove, she snarled soundlessly, and kicked the crumbling bough again for good measure. A rustling noise to her left caught her attention, and Akito's head whipped to the side. Inspecting the broadleaved bush that had shaken, she stepped forward a pace or two, then jumped back slightly as a small, cute fluffy animal stuck its head through the branches.

Akito smiled, and squatted down, holding out her hand to attract the (rabbit? Small deer? Duck-billed platypus?) _thing_ towards her. It was generally better to have Tohru with her when she did this, as animals practically glued themselves to her, but the stupid, weak-willed girl didn't like eating cute things, and wouldn't have anything to do with helping to capture poor defenceless animals. Tohru didn't much like eating plants either, as she told Akito she always heard them scream when she picked them. Akito practically had to shove the food down her throat, though Tohru complained of hunger more than anyone Akito knew. Which isn't saying a lot, as her list of accepted companions (never friends) was very, _very _short. In fact, there was only Tohru.

The small rabbit thing now hopped cautiously towards Akito's outstretched hand. It sniffed her stubby, dirty fingers, and nuzzled into them. Akito smiled again, and moved.

Her thin, strong hands closed over the animal's head, almost crushing it. She tore off the glove from her other hand with her teeth, and wrapped it round the thing's neck. It was bucking and jerking furiously now, eyes showing their whites, ears laid flat against its head. Akito's hands tightened. She closed her eyes, and relaxed her power.

The sucking, whirling sensation always started slowly at first. It was deathly quiet. Then the sound rose, higher and higher and higher, until it was a roaring in her ear. Akito felt as if she were being dragged into a black hole, flashes of white blinding her. She was floating, not in air, not in water…something else. There was a voice calling her name. Was it her mother? It sounded nothing like her…this voice was soft and very gentle…yes, nothing like her mother…

"Akito!"

Tohru's concerned face was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. Blue-green eyes shining with worry. Rosebud pink lips, and rosy cheeks. The pretty face lightened when it saw that Akito was conscious, and Tohru smiled softly in relief.

"Akito, I was worried about you. Did you let yourself go too far that time?"

Akito didn't answer, and her eyes narrowed with annoyance. She hastily brushed away soft hands from her upper arms, and abruptly stood up, almost knocking her companion over. The dark-haired girl saw the dead animal and dispassionately prodded it with the toe of her boot. It did not move, and, satisfied, she picked it up and slung it over her shoulder. Akito glanced towards her companion, and her thin lips twisted when she saw Tohru looking away from their dinner in distaste.

"Come on. Move it, or we won't be back before sundown." Akito strode away, towards the eastern horizon. She didn't look back to see if Tohru was following her as she marched through the leaves and the bushes towards their camp. They had been wandering the forest for the last ten years, settling down for as long as a month or two, before packing up and moving away. To make a living, Akito would hunt down exceptionally furry animals, skin them, and give them to Tohru to stitch together. The other girl was particularly gifted at sewing, and would make fur gloves, scarves, boots- anything that would keep their heads above water.

Tohru was the one that went into towns and villages and cities, as everyone liked her. She was kind and sweet and pretty, and would unknowingly charm the inhabitants of every settlement they came across with her innocence. The shy little girl had gotten more than enough marriage proposals- the complete opposite to Akito, who hated any type of human contact apart from her companion. People seemed to have an instinctive aversion towards her, and she welcomed it. They hated her, and she hated them- it was the natural order of things. She was gifted with the ability to suck the life out of things, after all. If anyone else knew that, she would be hunted down and killed. Therefore, Akito Sohma did not venture out of the woodlands much at all, except to secretly guard that stupid girl, who was so naïve she was sure to be taken advantage of sometime soon. So far, only one had tried. Akito had had fun with _him_…

_**Tohru was smiling and waving as the final remaining customers left, happy with their purchases. She hummed as she cleaned up the last of the debris, and bundled up anything that hadn't sold into her wicker basket. As soon as she was done, Tohru strolled over to the baker's on the other side of the main square, unaware of the eyes following her every move.**_

_**Kirae Oshikawa smiled to himself. This was the night. The night he had been waiting for. He had been watching her for some weeks now... and soon, she would be his. **_

_**All of the other men had bragging about having her, but none had the balls to actually make a move. He was the bravest, most handsome, most talented man this village had to offer. Well, he should be, as he was the son of the town head. The most powerful person in this shitty hellhole, apart from his father.**_

_**Kirae smirked, and stood up. He sauntered away from behind the stall he had been hiding behind, and accosted the lovely Tohru as she wandered by. She blinked at him, and smiled.**_

**"_Oh, hello, Mr. Oshikawa! Is there anything you wanted?" Tohru tilted her head, and Kirae closed in on her. The girl stepped back in slight apprehension. The young man smiled predatorily at her. He was three feet away from her now, and impatiently stepped closer to his quarry. _**

_**Almost as soon as he had moved, a feeling of apprehension had clutched at his heart. Tendrils of fear started to curl over his legs, his arms, even his head, until he was wound in a thick coat of fog. It blanketed him, suffocated him. Kirae blinked. Was this some sort of witchcraft? He tried to raise his hand and clutch at Tohru's arm. To his horror, he found his limbs felt heavy and cumbersome, and curiously numb. He couldn't move! It was as if someone or something were watching him, wanting him to die. Tohru stepped closer to him in worry and the feeling intensified. Kirae felt his heart thump in his throat, and staggered away, away from this no-longer desirable girl. **_

**"_I-I'm sorry, Miss Tohru, I just remembered something I had to do today…"he gasped. Tohru's face cleared and she nodded in understanding. With a final bow, she walked past the scared man, into the maze of streets behind him._**

_**The man stumbled away from her, breathing heavily. He started to walk. He found the farther he got from Tohru, the slacker the iron shackles of fear around his heart and his head got, until they were completely gone. Kirae started to run, boots pounding the cobbled beneath his feet. There was some sort of irrational fear driving him, an instinct of self-preservation. **_

_**After some time, the young man staggered towards his villa. He looked up at the trees, and for a moment, he thought he saw a pair of black eyes, laughing at him…**_

Akito stopped. She looked at the sky and frowned. She heard Tohru squealing behind her, as her skirt caught on a thorny branch. Akito rolled her eyes, and went back to scrutinizing the heavens. The stars were peeking out from the dusky grey sky, and dark clouds were rolling in from the south. Tohru finally lurched forward from the undergrowth, and staggered towards Akito, glancing down at her ruined skirt. The younger girl looked up at the skies and gasped.

"Akito! There's going to be a storm!" she cried. Akito snorted.

"I know that, idiot. I'm not stupid. Probably in about an hour, two hours."

"Should we continue to go to camp?" Tohru asked anxiously. Akito looked around her. They were in a small clearing, surrounded by large, overgrown trees.

"No." she decided. "It's too risky. The storm'll hit us before we get there. We should just stay here for the moment; we've got everything we need." Tohru brightened.

"Okay!" she said happily. She dropped her pack in an alcove, covered by dark green boughs, and started to make their shelter. First, she searched for twigs large enough to hold each other up, and arranged them in a conical shape. Then she took out furs, and draped them over the twigs, making sure there were no spaces in between. The end result was not a luxurious three-storey inn with running water and a hygienic outhouse, but it would do. Tohru stood back to admire her work, and heard the crackle of the fire being lit. She turned around to see Akito roasting their dinner on a spit, and gagged. The smell was horrendous, acrid and bitter. She hated the smell of burning flesh. The sight was not too bad, as long as you closed your eyes.

"Hey stomach-of-steel! Dinner's almost ready, so get over here!"

Tohru sighed. Although she had grown more or less accustomed to Akitos' style of speech, she did wish her sort-of sister would desist with the obscenities. During their time together Tohru had learned some new words. Lots of new words. _Long_ words. Words that she probably would not need in the first place, had Akito not been her companion.

"Coming in a second," she called, " and I hope it's well cooked."

Akito merely grunted in reply. She 'forgot' to cook it regularly, just to see Tohru squeal at the blood. Honestly, that girl was so infantile at times. Raw meat never hurt anyone.

She never told Tohru she preferred her meat raw. She didn't want to creep her out too much, although she had the faint suspicion that Tohru was not as stupid as she seemed. Tohru might already have guessed, but Akito doubted it. She hadn't guessed yet. Probably.

As they sat down to eat, Tohru shuffled closer to Akito. She would never admit it, especially to the girl who was not afraid of anything, but Tohru didn't like the dark. It had been fine when she'd been with her father, but he was gone now. Still, Tohru held on to the hope that someday she would see him again. He was her father, after all, and she missed him.

---

Katsuya was inconsolable with grief for weeks. He wouldn't sleep or eat- not voluntarily, anyway. The three crones had to force the healthy nourishing stew (made of frog's legs, of course) down his throat. Katsuya felt numb, at first. Then refused to eat. He couldn't see the point- she was dead, wasn't she? She was five years old, for god's sake! She didn't know how to take care of herself! She thought food grew on trees!

That was it. He had killed her. He had killed her by leaving her alone. It was his fault entirely. No, he would just die here, alone, without his wife or his daughter.

…

"I'm going to go in there and slap him senseless." Rachesisu grouched. Her younger sister shushed her, covering her mouth with old, leathered hands.

"Don't do that!" she whispered, "He's had a hard enough time already without you abusing him!"

"Ye Gods, how_ long_ can someone mourn a person, though? He's been here for months!"  
"Don't be so callous! It's his _daughter!"_  
"Has he ever thought that she may be still alive?" Rachesisu snapped. "Has he ever thought that maybe someone from the village took her in and cared for her? Has he thought about that? Maybe he should, instead of lying around and moping!"

Before her sister could stop her, Rachesisu threw the door open and marched to Katsuya's side. He was lying where he had first woken up in the house, beside the fire, on a long stuffed armchair covered with blankets. The man was staring dreamily into the distance, but a memory would invade his mind, and before long he would burst into tears. Sometimes, he would mutter Tohru's name in his sleep, or turn around, expecting to see his daughter, standing there, her hand held out for _just one more _bar of chocolate.

"You! Old man! Get up now!"

Katsuya rocketed upright with a speed that would leave eagles amazed if he kept going, distracted from his beautiful dreaming. He looked around flustered, before his livid gaze settled on Rachesisu.

"Me! _I'm_ old? Why don't you look in the mirror, you crone!"

"_I'm_ only old because I've been on this earth longer than you have existed. You have aged at a rate previously _unheard_ of in humanity. You're crying your life away and soon the reaper will come for you, and you'll cross the last river, before me, before my sisters, even before your daughter-"

"You can't know that! She might be dead! And there's nothing I can do to help her!" Katsuya yelled, feeling angrier than he had ever before.

"And what'll you do if she is? If you pine away, or drink yourself to death later, how will that help her?" She jerked him upwards, pulling him by his collar. He quieted.

"I'll see her again. I'll see both of them again. And we'll be together. Forever." He relapsed into dreaming. Rachesisu shook him thoroughly, then, when that didn't work, slapped him hard. Katsuya's face was thrown sideways by the force of the blow, and he blinked, before rounding on his assaulter.

"What was that for?!" he shouted. She regarded him calmly.

"You would have killed yourself if you carried on like that. You have to go back to your home. You have to find your daughter. If you don't find her, you will have to move on." Katsuya looked at her in disbelief. Then started laughing.

"Oh-oh, you can't be serious! Move on? MOVE ON? HOW CAN I MOVE ON? SHE WAS MY DAUGHTER! MY LIFE! SHE WAS ALL I HAD! AND NOW-" he was sobbing, "And now…she's dead…I'll never see her again. Oh, Tohru, my sweet, little Tohru…"

Rachesisu looked at her sisters, who had gathered behind her.

"This is going to take some time."

---

Tohru slurped up the last of the gravy. Frowning, she saw that there was still some left. Snatching a piece of bread, she tore it in half, and viciously started to wipe the wooden bowl she was eating out of dry. Akito looked at her, and raised an eyebrow. Huh, people thought _she_ was weird…

Sighing with happiness, Tohru gathered up the pans and bowls, and washed them with water gathered from the stream nearby. She finished putting them away, and then peeped up at the angry black sky above her. Glancing at the unworried Akito, Tohru packed up their belongings, and shoved them into their tepee without looking. Scurrying over to her travelling companion, she cuddled up close to Akito, who allowed it. It was cold, anyway, and Tohru was always nice and warm. The fire had gone out, and it was pointless to light another one, as they would be going to sleep soon.

"Akito…" Tohru interrupted the dark-haired girl's thoughts. Akito threw down the animal carcass she had been skinning, and gave her escort the 'Look'- a mixture of impatience, anger and frustration. The brunette ignored her, well used to receiving it by now.

"Akito, are you sure that it's a good idea to stay here for the night?" Tohru asked, scooting closer to her un-sister. "It-it might be too open, don't you think? The storm might catch us."

"No." Akito replied shortly. "It's fine. If you don't like, fuck off. Leave me alone for once, without your constant hunger, your stupid babbling, your clinginess. In fact, why are you still here? If you weren't, I could live without any worry." She scowled at the girl clutching at her. "I could think only of myself. I wouldn't have to worry about you. You and your idiocy. Why do you still stay with me, you stupid girl?"

Tohru only smiled gently. "Because you're like me, Akito. You have…well, you know." Thunder crashed through the air, and Tohru squeaked, clutching at Akito's sleeve. The other girl sighed, rolled her eyes and shook her off, then stood, and stamped out the last remaining embers of the dying fire.

"Come on. Get in." she said brusquely. She pushed Tohru into their tent, and entered herself. She closed the skins around them, trapping in heat.

The inside of the tent was small, but spacious enough to accommodate the two girls. Anyone else and it would have been crowded- Tohru was slim and petite, while Akito was thin and tall- and there was enough room to keep their possessions in.

Lighting illuminated the interior of the tent, creating dramatic shadows. Akito's face was drawn in a scowl. Lately, she had been feeling more and more protective of Tohru, but she couldn't work out why. She didn't like the brat- far from it. Tohru was clingy, needy and irritating. All of the things she hated. Akito grumbled for a while, before curling up beside her sister.

"Akito?" She couldn't believe it. Tohru was awake? She had thought the idiot could've slept through an earthquake.

"Akito? Are you up?" Akito snarled slightly, and threw back her covers.

"Well, if I wasn't before, I am now!"

"…Sorry."

"Urgh. Whatever. What do you want?"

"I've just been thinking…"

"Well, that's a first."

"Uh…right. Anyway, I was just wondering…if I bring things back to life…and you kill things…what would happen if we…you know…touched?"

Akito was silent. She then growled slightly, and turned to the girl sleeping beside her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Tohru looked somewhat cowed. "It was just- I mean…don't you thing it would work?" She tried desperately. "I mean, we always wear gloves, and never hugged or anything…and- and don't you think that's weird? We've known each other for ten years now…"

She trailed off at the contemplative look on Akito's face. "Wh-what is it? Have I said something wrong?" Tohru asked waveringly. She gasped as Akito's hand shot out, lightning fast, and grabbed one of hers. Tohru flinched slightly, and Akito took a deep breath.

Was what Tohru said true? The other girl didn't have any problem controlling her gift. She had once described her power as a sort of bubble that would only come to life if Tohru called it. It was different with Akito- it was always different with Akito. Her power was always hungry, always impatient. If what Tohru said was true, then she could finally slap someone without causing them death!

She slid off her black glove, wondering what had gotten into her. She wasn't usually this impulsive. Impulsively violent, yes, but not about anything this important. If something went wrong, she could kill them both. She closed her eyes, and pressed her lips together determinedly. Sweeping away her last-minute inhibitions, Akito's eyes opened, and she slowly peeled away Tohru' glove from the hand she was clasping. Slowly, so agonizingly slowly, the dark-haired girl tentatively laid her palm beside Tohru's. Nothing happened, and the two girls both breathed a sigh of relief. Akito very nearly smiled. Oh, how good it was to be able to touch someone again without fear of killing them! She didn't know about Tohru, but she felt almost happy.

Akito sighed with relief, and pulled her hand away from Tohru's. Or, at least, she tried. Frowning, she glared at the other girl, who was looking similarly puzzled.

"Tohru, what are you doing? Let go!" Akito desperately tugged at her hand. It wouldn't budge. She stared at Tohru accusingly.

"I'm not doing anything!" the other girl replied frantically, "What's happening?! What did we do?!"

'I don't know!" Akito felt the beginnings of panic creeping into her mind.

The two girls continued to struggle vainly. They almost knocked over their tent, and lightning shot through the blue-black sky, lighting up their horrified faces. Suddenly, Akito saw a tendril of something black crawling out from her arm, while a white-coloured vine slid along Tohru's. She gestured towards them to Tohru, who blinked, blue-green orbs widening. The girls stopped struggling, and stared. The two tendrils crept ever nearer, closer and closer…until, finally, they touched and curled around each other.

Everything went grey.

----

_You know, this just started out as a twisted idea in my (dishrag's) head. Are we noticing a pattern here? It's usually me who thinks up the twisted stuff...but I have to admit, it wasn't as twisted as this till Elia came along and read my ideas._

_Anyway, we think you should know about the ages of the characters so far-_

_**Tohru-** Fifteen_

_**Akito-** Seventeen_

_**Katsuya-** Who knows? Who cares?_

_**The Crones-** Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady's age? (Possibly prehistoric, if you were curious. Don't tell them we said that.)_

_...That's all the characters...there's no Shigure or Hatori yet. THEY'LL BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!_

_But good things come to those who wait. And review._

_Random fact of the day- In Juneau, Alaska, owners of flamingos may not let their pet into barber shops._

_And this applies for the whole of Alaska...- It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane._


	4. BISHIES!

Here is the fourth chapter. Here are the bishies. They aren't ours. WE WANT THEM.

* * *

"Shigure! Come back here!" He was running through the trees. Occasional flashes of sunlight lit up his profile for moments, until he passed them. Finally, he stopped, sweat pouring down his face. Hunched over, hands on his knees, he paused to get his breath back. Eight-year-old Hatori Sohma stood up, frowning. He raked the forest before him with an indigo gaze, before finally giving up on finding his brother. An obnoxious voice filled the air. 

"Haha! Face it, Haa-san, you can't beat me!" Hatori couldn't believe it- Shigure was skipping out on lessons just to play hide and seek!?

"Shigure, come back, we'll get in trouble!" he tried desperately. "Look, mother and father will get mad if we don't! Kazuma will have been waiting for ages!" That card usually worked.

Shigure sighed with defeat, and popped his face out from the tree he had been hiding behind. "Aw, Haa-san, you're never any fun!" he cried. He saw his brother jump with surprise at being caught unaware, and grinned. Shigure skipped over to his brother and flung an arm around the other boy's shoulders. Hatori tensed, but Shigure remained oblivious, "Hey, look Haa-san! It's a path!"

"So-?"

"Come on, come on! I haven't been here before!" Shigure exclaimed. Before Hatori could say another word, he was being dragged through the previously disused woodland track by his twin.

"Shigure! What are you doing?!" he yelled, "We will get in so much trouble when we get back! And this time, I'll let you take the blame!" Shigure didn't stop. Instead, he only quickened his pace. Eyes on the alert for anything vaguely exciting, Shigure stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of an old abandoned building. He ran towards it in anticipation, forgetting entirely about his twin brother. Hatori looked back and forth between his brother and the direction they had come from. Sighing, he made to follow Shigure.

"This is so cool!" Shigure called. Hatori clapped a hand over his mouth, and, not wasting a moment, Shigure licked it. Yelping with disgust, Hatori jumped back, and yelled at the other boy, as he started to run around in delight. They were in a fairly big, old stone church with wooden pews leading up the aisle, and ending just in front of a large marble pulpit.

Hatori, after he had wiped his hand on Shigure's shirt, was quite annoyed to find that he was fascinated by this structure. He had certainly never seen anything like it before. The wooden beams making up the ceiling were about twenty feet higher than his head, and the walls were grey stone, with no sculptures, no monuments, and no carvings, yet even this sparsness was intruiging. It was smaller than it looked from the outside, and what Hatori found especially strange was that there were no windows- only diagonal slits in the roof to let the light in.

It had been years since anybody had set foot in here, he was sure. There was a thick coating of dust covering all surfaces, and the golden candelabras resting on the pulpit were rusted and dull. Hatori was jerked out of his reverie by an over-loud voice.

"Hey, Haa-san! Look, a secret room!" Shigure bounded up to him, and started to pull on his sleeve, towards a tiny door to the right of the pulpit. Covered by a heavy red velvet curtain, Hatori would never have noticed the wooden entrance if Shigure had not pointed it out. "Wow, this place is so cool. I bet nobody's been here for hundreds of years!" His brother secretly agreed. It _was_ pretty cool, to have discovered this secret place all by themselves.

Hatori shook his head. What was wrong with him? Usually he was the responsible, smart one, the one who always got the others out of trouble. Why was he feeling so…agitated? About some stupid door? "Shigure, do you know what time it is?" he demanded. Seeing Shigure's devilish grin, he felt himself go red-faced with annoyance.

"You will never, ever get another favour out of me as long as I am alive, Shigure Souma." He muttered, tightening the grasp he had on Shigure's arm. The other boy yelped, before dragging Hatori fully through the grimy curtain. Their arrival disturbed the years of dust that had existed quite happily before, and the two boys partook in a particularly vicious coughing attack, before staggering into a dark room full of floating dust. Once the attack was over, and Shigure had regained full use of his trachea, he patted Hatori on the back to help him hack up the last of the remarkably persistent and irritating dust. Of course, this did more harm than good, as Shigure's 'light pats on the back' resembled nothing more than a wrecking ball in a construction yard. Hatori was thrown forward three feet before landing in a crumpled, groaning, and painfully winded heap. Shigure burst out laughing.

"Thhaht… waahs…nohht …fuhhneee…!" Hatori wheezed laboriously. Shigure collapsed with laughter.

"Yhehhhs ……ihhht……whhhaaahhhsssssss!!!!" Shigure managed, before passing out due to lack of oxygen.

(Moral of the story: it does not do to make fun of others misfortune.) He was then abruptly flung back into consciousness by the motion of Hatori's hand slapping his face. It didn't help that he was wearing about five rings, all made of heavy gold and set with jewels. The slaps continued on long after he was fully revived, and after his brother had stopped abusing him, Shigure asked Hatori why on earth the beating had been prolonged until almost ten minutes after he regained consciousness.

"I felt like it." Hatori replied coldly. (Moral of the story: it _really_ does not do to make fun of others misfortune. Especially if you were the one who caused it.)

"Alright, alright, Hari." Shigure sighed. "I'm sorry. Is that enough?"

"No." Hatori smirked sadistically, "I want you to bow down to me and kiss my feet. Or I will never do your homework for you ever again."

"Wh-WHAT?!"

"You heard."

There was a faint sob, before you could hear the sound of Shigure slowly, dignifiedly, folding his legs. Once he was kneeling in front of his brother, he looked up into his eyes.

"Please, Hatori-kun," he said tearfully, "Please, remember me. Remember me as the boy who loved you unconditionally. Please remember me as the boy who would have died for you without a second thought. Please remember me as the boy-"

"Who stuck snow down my pants when I was sleeping." Hatori was just about to smile, before he remembered his role.

"It wasn't my fault!" Shigure wailed, "Please, Hatori-sama! You must believe me! It was the crackers! _The crackers made me do it!"_

"That does not change the fact that you were the one who carried out the action." Hatori replied sternly. "For that, you must be punished."

"I see…" Shigure sighed, a broken man of eight years. "I see." He bowed his head, "Hatori-sama. Please, end this misery."

"Shigure…"

"No, no. You must do what you must do. As the younger brother out of the two of us, you are our Kingdom's last hope. You must learn to make hard decisions. Like killing me."

"Shigure…!"

"Haa-san, I love you, but you must understand that I would prefer you not to cut off my head with that...thing." Shigure eyed the rusty metal spork in Hatori's hands. He had no idea what it was or where it came from, but he was about to die, so what did it matter? "It would take a lot of time to get through the bone, plus it would stain your royal russet robe. Ah, alliteration…" Shigure glanced up (mostly to keep from looking at the thing in Hatori's hands...the red stains on it looked disturbingly like blood) to see his brother staring at something behind him.

"Haa-san? What is it? Is it a naked fish?"

"Shigure, you moron," Hatori said in an awed voice, "look behind you. It's not a fish. And why would a fish wear clothes?"

"Can it be?" Shigure said, exalted, "After so many years of waiting? Are you sure it's a naked woman on a trampoline, Hatori? Or have you gone blind-?"

His last comment was cut off by Hatori forcibly pulling his head to look behind him, and Shigure thought he might have to reattach his jaw.

A painting that glowed slightly. Two girls. One surrounded in a golden glow, like the first dawn. One surrounded in a deep violet vortex, like the last dusk. Clasping hands. A perfect balance, but yet not perfect. They did not look pretty. They were not meant to be pretty. They were inhuman. Beautiful.

Then the sun came out outside. The boys were caught in the light, like two moths in a dancing flame. As the sun streamed through the stained glass, they found themselves surrounded in light and warmth. They felt as if they were floating, but, how could that be, with the ground so steady under their feet?

Gradually, the light faded, and the two stained glass girls stared still at one another, their hands remaining clasped, as if clinging on to one another for their lives. Clinging for their lives, but with absolute faith in the support of the other.  
As the two brothers began to gather what wits they had left, Shigure had only one thing to say.

"We have_ got_ to come back here again."

…

The throne room was usually used for such occasions as family meetings, council gatherings, and showing off. It was used because it was the largest room that could be heated efficiently, as the three huge fireplaces in the three walls surrounding the entrance were never allowed to go out in the wintertime, and the large windows had huge, thick curtains that were pulled over them to retain the heat, but could be drawn back in summer to allow the light in. Therefore making a significant saving in candles.

This was such a day- the windows were thrown open, a slight breeze playing about the room. The vaulted ceiling was made of carved oak, and had taken decades to make, while the head of the room was always resplendent, summer or winter.

The man lounged in the large ebony throne, seemingly at ease. His long legs were crossed, and a slim-fingered hand propped up a handsome, middle-aged face. He was the epitome of composure. Inside, however, he was a jumble of emotions- mostly panic. Where were his sons? Had they ran away again? Satochi Sohma growled under his breath, and the woman beside him flinched slightly, placing a hand on his forearm to calm him.

It's obviously Shigure's fault, he thought irritably. That boy was always such a bad influence on Hatori- the only reason he was heir was because he was older. Hatori was much more suited to be King- he was calm, clever, rational, and above all, not an idiot. He was also honest. Shigure, though he was young, was already a manipulative little brat. He told people what they wanted to hear to get what he wanted, and then would go back on it. He twisted words to suit him, even though he was far outshone in that aspect by that fool of a boy Ayame. Though saying that, Satochi was not quite sure that he was…Ayame was more flamboyant and exuberant in his lying, but Shigure did it in such a subtle manner that you didn't know you had been manipulated until you were cornered.

Damn that brat.

….

"Shigure!"

Shigure started slightly. The voice had come from behind, and it reminded him forcibly of-

"Shigure, you idiot, where the hell are you?"

Ahh, that would be them, then. Kazuma jumped down from the tree he'd been keeping guard in, startling Hatori.

"Hello." Kazuma greeted, brushing thin, brown hair back from his face. "Now, I want an explanation for why you two are so late for your lessons in swordplay." He said sternly. His mouth was set in a mock frown, but his eyes were smiling.

Hatori gave him a jerky nod, before pointing to Shigure. "He made me sneak out again." He explained. Shigure gasped, but everyone ignored him, being used to his amateur dramatics by this time. "He left the castle deliberately, knowing I would tag along like the good protective brother." This was said somewhat bitterly. For once, he would like to be the protected one. Just this once…

"Be that as it may, you still have your lessons with me. Hatori, it's your turn first. Let's not waste any more time."

As soon as the pair had left the courtyard, with Kazuma stalking ahead and Hatori jogging to keep up, Ayame jumped out from behind a tree. The same tree, in fact, that Kazuma had used so effectively.

"GURE!!! Surprised to see me?"

"AYA!!! You do realise that Kazuma probably knew you were there? However, I can truly say that I have never been as startled in my life, because seeing you here is…"

"That's enough, Shigure." Ayame tutted disapprovingly. He sighed, "You need to learn the noble art of flattery if we are to continue these conversations."

"Sorry Aya, I still need to work on it. Give me time." Shigure resolved to visit the library in the next few days- not only so he could work out how to charm the librarian into giving him whatever he wanted, but also to read up on confusing, flowery language.

"Well, alright then, I'll let it pass this once." Ayame relented, seeing the crestfallen face of his best friend. "So anyway, where were you, and more importantly, did you see it? The naked woman on a trampoline? The tea leaves were quite specific…"

"Don't be ridiculous Aya. Where would I get a trampoline? And what_ is_ a trampoline, anyway?" Shigure asked, frowning. He had so been looking forward to seeing that.

"So you _did_ see a naked lady! What was she like?" Ayame seemed to implode with excitement. He started to dance around, the long sleeves of his green and gold robe twirling around, looking like sunlight through fresh green leaves in spring. Long pearly hair spun in the breeze, and Ayame's golden eyes sparkled.

"There was no naked lady!" Shigure almost felt homicidal saying that, after seeing the look on his friend's face. He sighed, and his thoughts wandered to a particular dark-haired girl, depicted in a stain-glass window.

"But there was a girl, right?" Ayame's voice sounded slightly…hurt. He was looking at Shigure with a peculiar light in his eyes.

"There was no-one. Only…" Shigure trailed off. What should he call the apparition in the window? Not just a girl, but not a naked lady either. In Shigure's mind, that was the only types of women there were. Apart from his mother…and he did not want to go _there!_

"GURE! How could you!" His thoughts were cruelly jerked away from him by Aya's dismayed proclamation.

"What?!" bleated Shigure, adopting a childlike whine, "What did I do?"

"You went into a daydream about her. You abandoned me! Traitor!" Ayame stamped his foot, crossing his arms and turning away from him…accidentally dirtying the hem of his extremely expensive and beautiful robe.

"AYA! I would never betray you! I didn't see a single living person except Hatori. Honestly." Shigure turned away. Ayame might have been his best friend, but he could be so childish and demanding sometimes! An awkward silence ensued, in which both of the competitors remained stubbornly silent, until Ayame thought of a way to break the uncomfortable pause without losing face.

"Well… did you at least see the fish?"

----

"Forward…forward, now parry. Parry! No, too high, too high! To the left…left again…oh dear, Hatori, it seems that you are now dead."

Hatori Sohma looked at him in disbelief, a long blade pressed against his throat. "What?! But what did I do wrong?"

His friend and mentor sighed. "We'll work on that tomorrow. Right now I have to find that devious little dog and see how much he's practiced."

"Good luck with that." Hatori snorted. He carefully wiped his sword on his loose cotton tunic and slid it into the worn leather scabbard that hung from his belt. Unwrapping it from his waist, he hung it on one of the pegs beside the table, where it would be picked up by Kazuma and placed in the armory. Hatori waved goodbye to his tutor, then jogged out of the hall used specially for weapons practice.

After a few minutes of sprinting as fast as he could, he slowed down. Leaning against a cold stone wall, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and thought again about the girl in the window. He just couldn't erase the memory out of his head!

It had- or rather, _she_ had- been plaguing his mind and thoughts ever since he had seen her. It was unforgettable, that was for sure. Hatori was uncertain whether it had been the light hitting the glass at that particular angle or the effects of dust and exhaustion (he had never been that good at running) upon his body, but the image was playing and replaying over and over again, creating a slideshow in his brain-

_-tumbling, messy locks of brown hair- _

_-saddened, pleading cerulean eyes- _

_-slender white hands clasping another set of fingers, but these were thin and dirty- _

Their expressions were haunting. There were only two figures, and Hatori called them Dark Girl and Light Girl in his mind. Somewhere in the recesses of his awareness he was conscious of the fact that he had given them names, and it disturbed him a little. They were only pictures. He would probably never see them again. They were of no significance-!

**They _are_ important. **

He started, "What- who's there? Who was that?"

**They are more than pretty pictures, little boy. **

The voice was chilling, and it echoed though his brain. Hatori was more than a little scared, "I command you to reveal yourself!"

**You _will _see them again. **

"Come out, I say!'

It was too late. Hatori realized that he was standing in the middle of a large hallway, shouting at a ghost whose voice he had heard inside his head.

Shigure's overactive imagination had rubbed off on him, it seemed.

* * *

Did they have sporks in medieval times? Have fish ever worn clothes? Do naked ladies ever jump on trampolines? And wouldn't they give themselves black eyes? 

These things we will never know. All we _do_ is that-

Shigure and Hatori are both eight. As is Aaya. Kazuma is about ten years older than them. ABOUT. Don't quote us on his exact age. Not even Takaya knows that (probably).

Shii-chan and Haa-san's father is fictional. Well, even more fictional than the other characters- i.e. he is an OC.

We can't be bothered going into more detail. Review or...well, just review.

This is **Elia:** Review or eat...what would you have them eat?

**dishrag:** I don't know. Liquidized habanero peppers?

**Elia:** Eat... Peri Peri sauce! Review or eat Peri Peri sauce!

**dishrag:** That stuff is hot. I recommend that you review if you don't want the roof of your mouth to explode.

**Elia: **Well, I can't physically feed you Peri Peri sauce. So review or be force-fed virtual Peri Peri sauce and prepare to have the virtual roof of your mouth explode into agonizing fragments of blackened skin.

**dishrag:** So you really should review.

* * *

P.S- The stupid line-break thing works again! Hallelujah! Thank you, God, for such small miracles as these are the ones that make the world go round. 


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